Best Mobile Phone 2012: 9th Pocket-lint Gadget Awards nominees

Arguably the most important and heavily contested category at the Pocket-lint Gadget Awards is the title of Best Mobile Phone and 2012's dog fight between the usual suspects is no different. As ever though, it's your vote that counts, so don't forget to head over to the voting page to add your views.

If you haven't seen this year's hot five or don't know much about them, then here's a rundown of the Best Mobile Phone 2012 nominees. Read well. Vote better.

iPhone 5

Price

£529

Release date

September 2012

What Apple has created with the iPhone 5 is an extremely polished smartphone that oozes appeal. It's incredibly well built, easy to use, features a beautiful screen and comes packed with enough speed and power to service all your requirements. The hardware is just stunning and it really is impressive how much is crammed into such a tiny box.

For those who have already left the Apple ecosystem for Samsung or HTC, the iPhone 5 isn't likely to draw you back. It’s good but it’s safe, and the Apple Maps issue has proved something of a disaster for the time being. Will that count against it too much for the iPhone 5 to win Best Mobile Phone 2012?

Samsung Galaxy S III

Price

£375

Release date

April 2012

There is a lot to love about the Samsung Galaxy S III. As a premium flagship smartphone, it has plenty going for it. The huge display, the power, the smooth and fast operation are all to its credit. Add to this the ability to change battery and expand storage and you've a very good package indeed.

Of course there are always areas where we might want an improvement: the display could be brighter, for example, which is our biggest gripe. We found some bugs with screen unlock and the Smart Stay feature, designed to keep the screen on when reading, never really worked for us and, in some areas the UI is a little cartoony. Still, 30 million people can’t be wrong.

Nokia Lumia 820

Price

£380

Release date

November 2012

Nokia was so focused on packing the Nokia Lumia 920 with as much tech as it could that, for us, it forgot about what people might actually want from a phone. With the Nokia Lumia 820, however, that's not the case. That micro SD card slot gives you plenty of storage for movies, photos, and music, while the removable battery gets you over any power issues you might have.

Add that to a great core operating system and a design that stands out on its own and you start to feel this is the phone Nokia should be putting all its efforts into promoting. It’s not the flagship and the camera isn’t as good as the knock-out unit on its bigger brother but this is a mobile that anyone would be happy to use.

Samsung Galaxy Note 2

Price

£530

Release date

October 2012

The Note is a device that shouldn't work; a device that the Koreans dreamt up after too little sleep, and too many energy drinks. But somehow, it's the most captivating phone we've used for a long time. Some will find it absurd, but those who want a big screen with loads of beautiful detail, a much better battery and some cool pen features will "get it” within 10 minutes of holding it for the first time.

It manages to invalidate the tablet to some extent, because it's big enough to be a powerful media device, but small enough to carry everywhere. It isn't a phone for everyone, but those who love gadgets will take to it, and it will change their lives.

HTC One X+

Price

£495

Release date

October 2012

There are a few disparities between the HTC One X+ and the straight One X but it's the battery that makes the biggest difference to us. It was the weakest element of the previous device and it's now a better performer. If you're a One X owner, this is the thing of which you should be envious.

There's little to complain about, save a minor gripe with HTC Locations, and nothing is insurmountable. The hardware, the power, the build and the design of the HTC One X+ make this a phone we'd highly recommend, but recommend above all the others on this list? Well, we’ll see.

Dan's love affair with tech began in 1985 with his first computer, the Enterprise 128. After a psychology and zoology degree at university, a career on stage and screen he joined Pocket-lint in 2009. Dan has now moved on to pastures new.